Children of the Dead
by Humour Me- Please
Summary: Carl is left to face the world on his own with only Judy and Sophia to guide him. Can they make their way to Disneyworld in hopes of a better life?
1. Chapter 1

Rick watched as the barrel of a woman's shot gun aimed for his wife. Oh dear God. Please, no. No, no, no. She was going to kill her? She couldn't. The woman tensed her body ready to pull the trigger. Rick choked. If Lori died he didn't think he could live anymore.

Lori caught a look at Rick and followed his eyes to the woman and the gun. A barely audible mutter passed through her lips, more like an exhale of breath than words but Rick knew what she meant. "My Judy."

Lori jerked her body and the spraying shot of the gun hit her hard, blowing off her back and side, ribbons of ripped flesh dyed her top red. "LORI!" Rick screamed, as his wife doubled over. Clutching her side and hissing a sob. "NO! My LORI, my BABY!" he screamed, no longer caring about Carl who was unaware of the scene and sill running. These damn monsters had already taken away the two people he loved the most. He didn't want to live.

The Woodbury woman hesitated, watching the one-handed man break down over the woman she shot. /Move/ she thought, urging the man to run, this was hard. He looked too pitiful to shoot …, why did she shoot the woman clutching rags to her chest? "Oh dear God." She saw it. She saw her. She saw the baby.

A crying child bundled in makeshift robes rolled out from under the woman, not a scratch on her. The mother must have shielded it with her body. "Oh dear, God." /I killed a mother and almost her baby. That crying man must be the father. She was horrified.

"What are you doing, Violet? Shoot THEM!" barked the unkind voice of the Governor at her. H-he wanted her to kill … a baby? A newborn baby and her handicapped father? Her lip quivered and she turned to the governor. Regret melting into something more potent.

"YOU WANT ME TO KILL A BABY?" she screamed. Faces turned to look at her; the Governor looked slightly worried at her temper. "You sick FUCK! I killed the mother! You want me to kill a BABY?" Violet started shaking out of anger and sadness. Before she could think her shot gun was in the man's mouth and the rigger pulled.

Rick stared at Judy, she was alive? Rick forgot about the fighting, the zombies and the yelling. /My wife's baby is alive./ Wait, no. Not just her baby, their child- Carl. He needed him, not just the baby. Carl would shatter into a million pieces if his dad died and no amount of anything would put him back together.

The two month old baby was grabbed and pulled into his chest and he ran. Out of the prison, past the zombies and up the hill to where Carl was sitting- waiting for him.

"Dad! Judy!" he yelled, "I ran to the hills but when I stopped you and mom weren't there." he was folded over and panting, spitting thick spittle onto the grass. He hadn't exercised his long for awhile.

Five minutes of coughing and wheezing later Carl finally asked. "Where's mom?" His voice was calm and controlled but Rick's reply wasn't.

Rick pretty much screamed the answer. His hands covered his ears $as if to block out the undeniable with little avail. "She's dead! My wife is dead! Your mom is dead! Judith's parents are dead!"

Not far away the gun shots continued.


	2. Chapter 2

The three of them walked, they walked and walked till their feet ached and they then walked some more. It was hard for Rick. He knew he was being selfish but since Lori's death he couldn't bring himself to look at Judy. The only reason he loved her was the connection between her and his wife. Looking at her tiny face only seemed to mock him; It pointed out the one he loved the most of was dead and even she cheated on him. Now Rick had to pick up the pieces.

"Dad," Carl called quietly, "my arms are tired. Can you hold Judy?" Carl had been holding the baby since their last stop that was over a hour ago; They picked up supplies like powered milk and baby food.

Rick was caught off guard. "Umm, can you keep holding her…," he quickly thought of an lie but realised it was pretty much the truth, "I'm thinking." His son sighed and shifted the baby, Judith was a particularly good baby; She didn't cry or scream at all, if upset she'd make a little whimper and 'eh, eh' sounds.

/Carl/ Rick thought. He was a splitting image of Lori, he had her jaw, hair and eyes. It hurt to look at him. /My wife died to save a baby- wait, no, I have to stop thinking about Judy. I have to think of Carl/ and so he did but the thoughts merely brought back pain. Rick had put all his efforts into Lori and her baby, it was wasted. He felt like there was a whole in his chest, like someone scooped out his heart and lungs and left nothing but some dust. It was a bad feeling.

"We can stop here," Rick muttered, pointing to a car. Checking it showed that it had no fuel or keys but it would make a good bed for the night. He managed to pull the door off. They had nothing, they left it all at the prison were his friends died.

Carl watched his dad get into the front seat and curl up, not even bothering checking for roamers. His dad hasn't been the same since mom died. He was more than disappointed, everyone had to die sometime but mom had to go and mess dad up with it.

It was getting still fairly light but it was the run up to spring so it could already be quite late for Judy. Carl lay the baby across his lap and wrapped her in his jacket. His dad didn't do anything. He couldn't be asleep already. He wasn't.

"Dad…, we need to talk," Carl said, his voice steady. Rick didn't reply but the eight year old continued, "I know you're sad but this needs to stop. Accept that and let's just move on. Judy needs you." His dad didn't even shift from his spot. He didn't care, did he? He just sits there in his own little world like he has been for the last week. Carl raised his voice slightly, "Stop it, Dad. Mom is dead. Moping around is only going to get us killed!"

Rick snapped, "Just shut up!" He turned to look his son in the eyes. "Don't you think I know that? Just shut up… I need to time to think!" he growled and looked away from Carl and Judy; They could no longer see his face.

Carl let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding and tried to relax to no avail. Now feeling rather sad he lay down and across the seats (Making sure the door was closed so no zombies could get in) and held the baby Judy to his chest. "Never mind, Jude, me and dad can talk later." Letting his serious demeanour slip, Carl craned his neck and kissed his baby sister's messy black hair.

"Everything can wait till later…" What a damned lie.


End file.
